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Schools Offer a Welcoming Environment through ‘No Place for Hate’ Campaign
Schools Offer a Welcoming Environment through 'No Place for Hate' Campaign
By Will DeShong
The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) has teamed up with high schools in the region to help promote the “No Place for Hate” campaign to help make sure all students are learning in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Created by the Anti-Defamation League, the No Place for Hate campaign aims to combat hate and bias in schools to grow respect and understanding among students. Numerous school districts throughout the county participate in the initiative, and the AIU is helping facilitate DEI programming that supports it.
“The goal is to provide a safe and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their background,” said Michael Jones, director of the AIU’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Classrooms need to be a welcoming environment that enables students to grow and learn.”
Schools that participate in the campaign are required to complete a series of activities and projects that align with the program’s goals. The Northgate School District is among the districts in the county actively enrolled in the campaign, hosting No Place for Hate clubs in each of its school buildings, kindergarten through high school.
This past year, students involved in the high school club began working with district administration to help develop new DEI efforts as part of the district’s strategic plan.
“Our high school students are actively involved in the process,” Jeff Evancho, director of community partnerships at Northgate, said. “These students meet regularly with administration during our social equity committee meetings, and they even began meeting with our younger students to promote the campaign and to encourage them to be kind to one another.”
Those student-led DEI meetings were designed to be fun activities for elementary-aged students, but also tackled some of the bullying issues commonly found in school buildings. Evancho said the hope is that the campaign can remain a piece of the district’s wider efforts to develop and promote positive learning environments at a young age and have them continue year after year.
Districts can receive help with their diversity and inclusion efforts through the AIU’s DEI office. “By working together, schools can create a culture of respect and acceptance that will benefit students now and in the future,” Jones said.
For more information on No Place for Hate, visit: noplaceforhate.org.
Read more from this issue: Fall 2023
